


Memory of a Family.

by Ariadne_Karpusi



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Based on an AU, F/M, Fun, Modern AU, PIKELAN ANGST, also parental pikelan, from my legit like favorite tumblr account, gleefully-macabre, i imagine that this is like a senior trip so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-09 16:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11108409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ariadne_Karpusi/pseuds/Ariadne_Karpusi
Summary: Being a family isn't always easy. Pike Shorthalt or well at this point, Pike Trickfoot knew this. A year off of a nasty divorce, the woman was still trying to piece back her life.  It was soon time for the four kids' class trip. With a bit of puppy eyes and pleading from her daughter, Pike's now along for the ride. Similarly  along for the ride is her ex-husband. What could really go wrong?





	1. Chapter 1

Pike wasn’t a mom by blood. She and Scanlan had “adopted” four runaways, and along with her step brother Grog and Scanlan’s own daughter, Kaylie, they had a family. Though it was a strange family, it was hers.

Percival was from a few towns over, running from those who killed most of his family. She couldn’t blame him for running, but she took him in none the less. 

Vex and Vax were from the nicer side of the town, but they never wanted to show it. They hated their father and they lost their mother. Pike and Scanlan were lucky though, Slydor was the only one who ever signed over custody. She loves her twins and she knows that they love her. 

Neither Pike, nor Scanlan nor Grog knew where Keyleth came from. The best guess was from Grog, who guessed that she was from the hippie group on the outskirts of the town. Out of their children, Keyleth was the most interesting. They gardened together and baked together. From gentle prodding, they found out that Keyleth wanted something other than a life with just her father. Both of them were delighted to give her a new family. 

Pike has also never said that she was a perfect person. She was human and she made mistakes. One of those was the messy divorce. God everything went to shit. 

Scanlan took Kaylie and then it was just her and Grog. Thank god for Grog, her rock. Though it felt like it took ages to get over him, Pike managed it a bit to be a mom for her kids. 

So when Keyleth came bounding in with a slip of paper asking if she would chaperone for their upcoming field trip to a theme park. She had helped the kids fundraise for their tickets and she had even saved money to give to them for the trip. This was a surprise though, but with her daughter giving her the puppy dog eyes, Pike scrawled her name across the dotted line and sealed her fate for a day of fun.

—————

When the day came, Pike felt a bit silly. She was dressed in cargo shorts and her “mom” tank top. With her normal backpack full of the things that she would need for watching over kids. Though one of the things that she wasn’t prepared for was the empty seat next to her. She leaned forward and tapped Tayron on the shoulder. 

“ Tary? Do we have another chaperone with us?” She asked the blonde man. It took him but a moment to scan through his papers. “ Yes. Someone named Scanlan Shorthalt.”

There was nothing that could have ever prepared her for this.


	2. Chapter 2

Scanlan?

She'd have to deal with sitting with him for two and a half hours. She didn't think that she'd last that long. Someone would have to call her brother before she may break something.

Taryon noticed the frown on her face and gave her hand a sympathetic pat. " Good luck." He mouthed as she leaned back and got settled with her doughnut and coffee. As she was just a third of the way through with her coffee, there he was. The bane of her emotional state for about the last year and a half. Scanlan Shorthalt.

With Kaylie in front of him, joining her siblings in the back. He looked different than normal Dressed in a linen suit, something that was a far cry from the man she once knew who would normally have something purple on him. Vax and Percy gave their mom a concerned look as they watched Kaylie pass them and they made the connection. She waved off the concern, not wanting to worry the kids on their big trip. She’d just have to do what she’s done for the past year and be an adult.

Finally, she had to face the music. Scanlan sat down and she gave him a brief look. Their eyes met as she clenched her pen, and tried to level her breathing. This was a school trip and it wasn’t worth it to flip out. 

So instead of talking, she took attendance. Busying herself is what always kept her calm and not thinking about him. Someone could have cut the tension with a knife as she could feel him looking at her. Pike plopped back down and looked at him. 

“ Can I help you?” She asked as she eyed him. His stare wasn’t one of wanting, but one of confusion. 

“ What do you mean we’re going to an amusement park?” He asked.

It took a long moment before Pike realized what was going on. Kaylie must have lied to Scanlan about the trip to get him to come along. Of course, she would, she was his daughter. Her announcing that they were heading to an amusement park was the first time he heard of it. 

“ We’re going to an amusement park Scanlan, didn’t Kaylie tell you that?” She asked with a small giggle. He shook his head and she had to bite onto the side of her cheek to keep from laughing more. 

“ Where did she say we’re going?” 

He looked so distressed, “ She said we were going to an art museum!" 

She let out a little laugh.

“ You didn’t read the paper, Scanlan?” He shook his head, looking morose. 

Though there were things in her that wanted to say fuck it, but she dug into her backpack. It was Grog’s camping backpack, but She practically took it from him. After digging for a moment, she found the dusty vacuum sealed bag filled with the clothes she hadn’t taken out since he left. 

“ Here,” She said as she practically forced the bag into his hands. “ You’re going to need this for today, don’t talk to me again.”


	3. Chapter 3

Two and a half hours passed so slowly. 

Between staring out the window, Pike only had her chats with Grog. 

One of the twins must have messaged their uncle when they left. 

“ Pickle, R u alright?”

Pike had to smile a bit at her brother’s concern. He might not have been the brightest bulb in the pack, but she loved him. 

“ Nah, but I’ll live.” 

It was only a few seconds before Grog texted back.

“ M coming down.”

“ What?! I can handle myself Grog!!”

This next reply to a few more minutes. She took the moment to take a breath to not flip out on her brother. 

She gripped onto the arm rests, and she made Scanlan jump a bit with her nails digging into the pleather. Then, her phone buzzed loudly with a loud tiger roar. It was Grog.

“ I know you can, ur a monstah but the kids need you to not beat him up.”

That was true, and when she took a moment, she typed out a sane response. 

“ Fine, just make sure that you’re there. I’m going to need you today.”

Always there, and always strong. Well, what would one expect with the last name Strongjaw? Her brother wasn’t a brother by blood, but he was taken in when he protected her great grandpa from his uncle Kevdak. She still remembered the night that Pawpaw came into the house with the bloodied young man. Ever since they’ve been siblings and he’s always been there by her side.

Again the hour and a half seemed to almost lengthen as she tried to catch some sleep. Being next to the window helped a bit, but she still couldn’t get comfortable. 

The sun warmed her skin and she was getting a bit sleepy, but her neck still hurt. There was a tap on her shoulder and she cracked open an eye. 

Silently, Scanlan was offering her his jacket, the one that had been vacuum away for almost a year. With a grumble, she took the jacket and wrapped it around her. It still smelled like his cologne that she had gotten him on their first anniversary.

Soon, she drifted off into a dream land that was swirled with the smell of department store cologne that smelled like a washed up Rock Star, or well her ex-husband.


	4. Chapter 4

Pike snuggled down into the jacket, yawning again as she started to wipe her eyes. Her yawns started off softly before she let out a long yawn. As she stretched, she felt flesh under her hand.  
Then she heard a yelp of pain from the side of her. It took a few blinks but Scanlan came into view and he was holding onto his face.

After a bit of glaring, she got up and he shuffled out. They tagged teamed handing out tickets and food passes. It took a few minutes, but after everything was handed out, she took notice of the truck. Grog’s beat up pick up truck that practically screeched into the parking lot. Scanlan froze up when the almost seven-foot tall man stepped out.

Her brother was the greatest in the world and he was here for her. As she was making her way over to him, he waved a small thing of paper in his hands. 

“ Pike!” His voice rang across the lot. A few of the students turned to look at the behemoth of a man practically sprinting towards Pike.

She grinned and waved at him, before she felt herself being hefted into the air and tossed. They had done this so many times since their youth. Grog was always so careful to catch her as she fell towards the earth. She giggled and felt herself rebound in his arms. 

“ Hi Grog!!” She said with a laugh, her tanned face now red with delight. For a moment, Grog was entranced with his little sister. After setting her down, he noticed Scanlan. His face darkened and he stood to his full height, before sticking out a large meaty hand for her to hold. 

She grabbed his hand and they made their way off to the entrances in a small huff.

After a few minutes of walking, he cleared his throat. “ Are you alright Pickle?” He asked as they waited in line.

“ No.” She said as she fiddled with a bracelet that had been a gift from Grog on her birthday. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. 

“ Pike, don’t concern yourself over him okay? We’re going to have fun yeah?” He almost asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“ Yeah, you’re right Grog.” She told him as they continued their wait, trying to keep her mind away from him.


	5. Chapter 5

Pike normally didn’t mind waiting. 

But this was something that waiting couldn’t help. She bounced on her toes and practically dashed every time the line moved slightly. Ahead of her, she heard the sounds of roller coasters and laughter. 

“ Grog! This is so boring!!” She complained as they slowly inched forward. 

Her brother only laughed as she pouted at him. “ It’s not funny!” She protested as they finally scanned their tickets and entered through the gates, her with much more ease than Grog. She had to pull him through the turnstile. 

Finally, they were in the park and she lit up with joy. She loved amusement parks and they always had fond memories for her. Just as the sweet smell of fried dough began to fill her nostrils, she felt a tugging on her hand. 

The hand was a bit too small to be Grog’s, so she turned her head. It was one of the twins. Both had decided to wear their hair back in braids and the same top and pants. She couldn’t tell which one it was, and it was totally her fault. 

“ Vax?” She asked. The twin shook their head and smiled sweetly. “ Mom-”

That was her Vex’ahlia. 

She took a second to look at her brother and she saw Vax’ildan pulling Grog off to go ride roller coasters. Taking a breath, she looked at her daughter with an arched eyebrow. “ What do you want to do Vex?” She asked as she adjusted her bag. 

“ Ferris Wheel!” The teen said with a bright grin. 

With that, she walked off with Vex to the Ferris Wheel. It was a long walk, but she enjoyed hearing Vex ramble on and on about different things. Mostly Percy. Though they had been in the same house together, she knew that Percy and Vex had a thing for each other.

Like a good mom or well guardian, She sat them both down and talked about everything. They promised her that they wouldn’t do anything until they were out of the house. 

Soon enough, they weaved their way through the lines for the ride and she saw Scanlan standing there. She took a breath and saw Vex’ahlia scoot ahead and join Kaylie and Keyleth ahead of her and Scanlan. Before she could say anything, The three girls boarded one of the carriages and it was her and him left to go on together.

“ Two riding?” The attendant asked as he opened the door to the carriage. In an attempt to be nice, She gave a curt nod and made her way towards the carriage with him. They stood there for a moment and just stared. 

“ Ladies first?” He suggested before she took a breath and stepped into the carriage.


	6. Chapter 6

It was awkward. It really was. Being stuck on a Ferris Wheel with him. 

As the wheel went up slowly, She felt the shivers start to go through her body. With an attempt to hide her chattering teeth, she rubbed her arms.

Scanlan was looking at her and he took a moment to look around. Above them, the three girls were practically staring down the couple. Kaylie waved her hand at him and He was fiddling with something, before offering her his jacket. It was a stupid track jacket that once belonged to an old friend of theirs.

“ You looked cold.” He admitted as she took the jacket. With a swift motion, she pulled the jacket on and was relieved at the protection it provided. 

“ Thank you.” She told him as she settled back in the seat. They sat in the air for a few minutes actually. Surrounding them were the sounds of laughter, chatter and the occasional scream from a distant roller coaster. 

As they started to go down, she pursed her lips. “ Soo, why’d you come on this?” She asked as she kept her eye on the cart full of teens who were trying not to stare at them. 

“ Kaylie said that we’d ride together. I guess that turned out differently.” He told her with a simple shrug. She couldn’t help but notice that his skin was much tanner than before. His hair was now trimmed much shorter, almost shaved on the sides and on the top was almost curly. 

She flexed her fingers to resist the urge to want to run her fingers through his curly hair. Pike smiled a bit and nodded a bit. 

“ Same thing here for me. Vex wanted me to ride with her and I ended up here.” She admitted as she leaned back in her seat. 

They spent a few minutes before she felt his hand touch hers. For once, she didn’t pull away. 

With another round on the Wheel, she pulled her hand away and rested it on her lap. She was still wearing her wedding ring and he was still wearing his. Silver bands with each of their initials on them.

She couldn’t let him know that her wall was starting to crack. She couldn’t crack in front of him. He hurt her and she couldn’t break. 

As they hung at the top, she noticed the girls again. Kaylie looked upset and Vex’ahlia and Keyleth were talking and moving their hands quickly. She leaned her face against the cool glass of the carriage.

They made their last round and she looked at him. He looked like he was dreaming. The last time she saw him, he was angry and upset but now, he looked happy. He was finally happy. She bit her lip and fiddled with her ring, before pocketing it. 

It just didn’t feel right to wear it. The ride came to a stop and she shot off to try to find Grog and Vax.

Though she didn’t come to notice that the three girls were practically crowding around Scanlan.


	7. Chapter 7

Grog was currently holding back Vax’s hair as he was throwing up into a trashcan. She came to a stop and pulled out one of the many water bottles she had packed. 

As she approached, she reshouldered the bag and sighed. “ Grog? What did you do to him?” She asked as she rubbed her son’s back lightly in an attempt to ease him. He looked down and then off to the side. “ I took him on that new ride that spins you all around and then he started to turn green and-” With a large hand, he motioned to the puking teen. 

She looked at him, “ String bean, do you think that you’re going to be okay to sit down?” She asked as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He gave a weak nod, and she helped him off to the nearby set of tables that were vacant. 

After getting him settled down, she offered him the water bottle and rubbed his back. “ Are you alright?” She asked and he took a deep gulp of water. He nodded and smiled a bit. “ I’m alright. “ She smiled back and settled into her seat. 

“ How was your ride?” He asked as She took the ring and put it in her backpack. “ It was decent. Nothing too terrible happened. “ She told him as she zipped back up her backpack. Vax tied back his hair and looked at her. 

“ Kaylie says that he misses you.” He said softly. Pike nodded and looked at her son, smiling a bit. “ It may seem like that but, Vax, you remember what happened. What he said to us. Sometimes it takes a bit to know that things can’t be like they were.” She said as she stared at the patterns on her pack. Vax looked at his mom and touched her shoulder." Sometimes to forgive is to make yourself happier. Don't you want him to know how you feel so it's not too late?"

She took a deep breath and began to run her fingers over the scratchy fabric of her backpack. Though there was silence between them, sounds of happy families filled the air around them. It made the air thick and she sighed as she leaned back, her fingers clutching the seat beneath. Grog made his way over with large cup of something and a large thing of fries and chicken strips. 

“ Everything all good?” He asked them both with a mouthful of fries. Vax gave a nod to his uncle and snuck a fry as he got up. “ I’m better, but mom is dealing with things. She was just with dad.” He said as he turned off and headed into the crowds, disappearing among the people. 

She sighed and leaned on her fist. Pike knew that she had to be nice, that she had to forgive.

“ Still mad?” Grog asked as he offered up a chicken strip to her. She grinned and bit onto the chicken strip, “ Yeah, a bit.” She told him through a mouth full of food. “ Wanna go hit shit?” He asked with a wide grin. Pike pulled the basket inbetween them and smiled.

“ After we finish the food.”


	8. Chapter 8

The arcade was one of the greatest places here. With a belly full of food and games around her, she felt at peace. No awful things to think of as She went off to the coin machine. Both her and Grog put in ten dollars to get twenty coins each. 

She pocketed her coins and headed over to the strength tester. It was the first thing that she’d always test out. Inserting two coins, she picked up the rubber mallet. It felt decent in her hand, but it was nothing like the swords and other dangerous things Grog normally kept in the basement.

With one heavy swing of the mallet, she sent up the ringer to the top. She grinned as she saw the heavy stream of tickets start to pour out. In the arcade, another bell went off. It wasn’t too hard to see that large, towering form of her brother who was stationed at the basketball machine. At his machine, another steady stream of tickets was coming out. 

Pike grabbed her tickets and weaved her way through crowds of teens who were trying to win at their games. She caught the stray sight of a head of white hair that was at one the shooting games. Of course, Percy would be here for one of these games. 

She wound her way around to Grog. He had his tickets, but they were wound around his hands and arms like a tangled snake. She tucked her folded pile into her pocket and she helped him with his tickets. Almost one hundred tickets between the two of them. “ Want to get some more tickets?” She asked as she jingled her pocket. 

With a wide, almost wild grin, He nodded and they headed to the skeeball machine. There, they played many rounds until she felt a tapping on her shoulder. It was one of the twins that was smiling at her sweetly. 

“ Will you join me in the love tunnel mom?” They asked with that smile that said that they wanted something. 

She took the moment to dig into her pocket to see if she had any more tokens and she pulled out the last bit of her coinage, handing it over to her brother. “ Take these, I’ll come back later for those.” She said as she took her child by the hand and headed off to the Tunnel of Love.

Though as she approached the tunnel, she realized that she had to deposit her backpack into one of the lockers that were stationed nearby. As she did so, she saw the twin dart off to join what could be their other twin, Keyleth and Kaylie. They seemed to be plotting as she typed in the pin number. Cautiously, she slid in her backpack and headed over to the entrance to the walking path. 

There, she was met with Scanlan. He was holding a rose and he was looking at her. " Will you join me?" He asked as he offered up the rose. She took the rose tentatively and studied his face, trying to understand what he wanted. 

" We need to talk.." He said as he offered out a hand to her. She took in a deep breath before she took his hand roughly and made her way down the path. 

" Come on, let's go talk."


End file.
